Hi Mick and Yvonne, like yourselves,my wife and I have just bought a holiday home in El Chaparral. Due to complete mid Oct 24. We have become great fans of your videos as there's loads of info on a wide variety of subjects. We've got to know the place through your videos. Can't wait to get the keys and start exploring.... thanks to you guys.
Hi Wayne, that's very nice of you to say. Thanks for watching our videos and we hope you like tonight's episode at 8.00pm about the Lidl supermarket prices in UK and Spain. Thanks again, Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
I have a property in Bolnuevo in Spain, I actually love paying the council tax in Spain,our streets and area are spotless ,compared to the UK where it is horrendous! Great video,great layout,really enjoyed this one 👍👍
Hi VodkaDave, Yes it's a real pleasure paying for a good value service like the Spanish Council tax. Pleased you enjoyed our video, Thanks for watching, all the best from Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you both so much for making your videos, especially this one. My wife and I watched it and we both found it both interesting and incredibly helpful. We were in the area last week and paid a brief visit to La Siesta as we hadn’t visited before. We are planning on buying a holiday home next Spring so sharing your experiences is great! Many thanks & keep counting down the days to your flight back!
Hi @82fletch, thank you for watching and for your very nice comments. La Siesta is a great place with plenty of and a good selection of places to go and eat / drink. The new park will be finished this year and that looks like it's going to be a nice place to spend sunny days. Thanks again, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
New to your page - We are also looking at split living due to family commitments and time for us, and this video as been so helpful in allowing us to understand the true cost comparatives between these two great life styles. Thanks so much for all your efforts in educating people who are in our situation, it is much appreciated.
Hi Craig and Linzi, So pleased this video has been of some help to you, hope you find some of our others beneficial also. Thanks for watching and for your comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike and Yvonne, I’ve just come across your video and I have been watching up think you’re I was very clear on what you say. Your voice is a very soothing, which makes it that much easier to listen to. Look forward to your next video.
Hi Jacqui, Thanks for watching and for your very nice comments. So pleased you enjoyed this one, hope tou stay with us and watch plenty more. Thanks again, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike and Yvonne, thanks for your great videos and congratulations on your priceless 😀100th episode, brilliant up to date living costs comparison between Spain and UK, puts things into proper perspective for those like me considering a move to the Costas 🌴 wish you both all the best and looking forward to your next episode 🙂
Hi Lorna, Wow, you must have seen a lot of us, poor you. Let's hope we are still going strong at 200 videos. Thanks very much for watching and for your comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
This is possibly the most helpful video on RUclips for those of us thinking of getting a place on Spain. My gas and electric is £3000 a year in the Uk (3 bed semi). If we can half that by being in Spain 90/180 the saving alone will cover your running costs of a Spanish property. Why would we not do that?
Hi Snoopers09, Thank you for watching and for your comment. We did a live reaction to the video last night looking at the comments and having a live chat. ruclips.net/user/livefrPN9yKouSI?feature=share you may want to see it. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
100th Video !!!! Amazing !!!! Congraturlations ! Hope you are both well. Amazing Vlog and very similar to my bills in Spain....very similar. You put such a lot of work into this (as you always do with your Vlogs) and gives an incredible perspective for people looking to move to Spain. Really looking forward to the next one 😎 x
Wow your U K bills are half what I pay living on my own ! The council tax really annoys me as it is so expensive 😮. I didn't know you could freeze your TV licence so thankyou for this information . I just wish we hadn't left the EU as we could live out in Spain permanently so much cheaper than rip off Britain 😢. Thankyou for such an informative video ( new subscriber) 😊
@@susieadams1553 Hi Susie, Thanks for your comment. We do live a very frugal lifestyle and have, over the last two or three years cut down on lots of things like cable TV, landline and broadband. That alone saved us a small fortune per month. We bought an air fryer so we didn't have to use the oven as much. All these things add up and after a while we didn't miss them. Every time we go off to Spain now we ring up and cancel our TV licence and when we get back we re-instate it. I don't think you can freeze it as such, but that's the way that we do it and it works well. Thanks for watching and subscribing to our channel, it's much appreciated. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Congrats Mike and Yvonne on your 100th episode. Thank you so much for your wonderful and marvellous videos. We just bought a small holiday apartment in El Raso (Guardamar) to use in the wintertime. It's so great to see you guys biking around El Chaparral, Torrevieja, ... So brave of you. We are also planning to go around on an ebike. At least, that's the plan 🙂 Enjoy your holiday and hopefully we will see more videos from you. But for now, enjoy your time with friends & family. Way more important than RUclips 😉 Best regards from Belgium ❤
Hi JohnMichiels, Thank you for watching and for your very nice comments. We will be back there in September when our 90 days tops back up, and we'll stay till mid-November, so plenty more episodes to come. We have a couple in the can now which will be out soon, so keep on watching. Thanks again. Best wishes from Mike and Yvonne.
Great informative video for anyone thinking of doing the same as you (we are) . We are in Torrevieja at the moment 2nd visit this year sorry to hear you are back home. I love your videos and the humour within Looking forward to many more on your channel Keep up the excellent work.
Hi Gary, nice to hear from you. We will be back soon when our ninety days refresh and we will be back making more videos. Thanks for watching. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Simon, I would check with your electricity supplier. We use Iberdrola and they have a system that updates the best discounts every four months so you may be on a different tariff. You can check yours at Habaneras shopping centre or LeRoy Merlins they often have little stands there where you can ask them if you are on the best tariff, if not they will put you on it and tell you how to keep on the best discounts.(that's if you are with Iberdrola)
Thanks for replying, I enjoyed watching your videos just came across today. Your content is informative and useful. You also cover important details that other people have missed, thanks 🙏👍
Thank you both very much for your honesty with your facts and figures. This was very informative as we are thinking of buying a property in Spain. Many thanks Ian
Hello to you both. I’ve just found your videos and will be working my way through them whilst I hear the rain battering down in Manchester. My wife and I nearly bought an apartment in Formentera Del Segura a few years back but life got in the way. I’m now 64 and toying with the idea again, plus I’m getting an Irish passport. After 2 heart attacks, which have been dealt with using stents, proximity to a decent hospital would be advantageous. You know, belt and braces and all that. We also have a Westie that we would be taking out with us. You may have dealt with issues like this in previous videos but I thought I’d ask before I go through them all. Thanks.
Hi, thanks for watching and for your comment. We don't know anything about the dog situation as we haven't got one but there are good hospitals in Costa Blanca, one in Torrevieja with services and treatments just as good as in the UK. You would need health insurance if you are intending to come with residency in mind. Good luck with the property hunting....All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Just come across this video on your channel and as I am looking to buy this year, I am so thankful that you have taken the time to do this. Really helpful.....🤗 I was a little surprised when you said you were going to close your bank account in Spain....I thought it was mandatory for foreigners to have a spanish bank account when you own a property. I agree that monthly charges are high, I pay nothing for my account here in Germany with the Santander bank. Thanks again for the info...just pressed the abo button☺️
Hi Jay, thanks for watching. Good luck with your house hunting. We started with Sabadell Bank when we bought but the charges went up and up to a point that we could not afford them. We opened a Wise account and transferred the DDs to it, then we closed the Sabadell account. It’s probably the best idea to start with them and charge when everything is in place and settled down.
Hi Sean, Thank you for your kind comment. We try to keep things simple and easy to understand with as many visual aids as possible. Thanks for watching. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.
Firstly congratulations on reaching your 100th video. Your videos are always entertaining and informative, with this one being no exception. In fact after watching this I'll change to a Wise account and do my own non resident tax return in future. Well done both, enjoy your summer months in the UK.
Thanks, Wayne. We are just waiting until October before we close our Sabadell account just in case there's a problem, by October the last one will have gone through, although the wait will cost us another 40€ but that will be the last one. Thanks for watching, Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you for all your videos. I hope to move to Spain in 6 months and find your videos useful and enjoyable. I am moving primarily for financial reasons and you have confirmed my thoughts. Because I rent in the UK but will be buying a home in Spain the savings will be massive. I will be moving away from the UK permanently and retiring to the sun and will be far better off in many ways. Congratulations on 100 videos.
Hi Pete, So pleased you are benefiting from our videos. Thank you for your comments and for continuing to watch them. All the best with your search for a property. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.
@@jonedwards3033 Yes Jon, care must be taken and plenty of research is a must when making such a life-changing commitment. Thanks for your input, Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you for all of videos. Thoroughly enjoyed episode 100! 🥳🍻......here's to the 100! 👏. 3 2 1 ! Ping! Adios! Until next time, have a great week ahead Mike & Yvonne ! ☀️🌄
Hi Graham, We are glad you enjoyed ep 100, we wanted to make it a special one and it's certainly proved to be very popular. Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike & Yvonne, I have just subscribed to your channel = so ive got some catching up to do with watching your youtube vlogs - I just wanted to say a massive thank you to you both for posting this detailed information on the costa blanca, I often go on holiday to resorts in and around the benidorm area, so this is really helpful.
Hi whu58, Thank you very much for subscribing, we have done many videos that may interest you, about being in the Costa Blanca. We have a second home in Torrevieja in Southern Costa Blanca. We produce content about the area "Between the Lakes" plus plenty of informational videos about the 90-day rule, non-resident tax, interesting places to visit, restaurants & bars and other things relevant to people interested in visiting Spain as non-residents. Thanks for watching and for subscribing. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Congratulations on your 100th video and a very informative one it is too! I must get organised and do the same!! Perhaps a how to video on changing bank accounts as would appreciate advice on that 👍
Thank you, Diane, glad you found it useful and it inspires you to do a spreadsheet on your household bills. It really is useful to see it this way over a long period of time. We have thought about doing the bank change as a video, we will see how it goes....Thanks for watching and for your comments. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Perunut4656, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Yes resident tax is there but it is very cheap in the grand scheme of things, especially when you consider how much council tax we pay. When we add our Suma (Spanish council tax) and the non-resident tax, it's still only about a third of our council tax in the UK. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
A great video! I've been looking forward to this kind of facts, and now you present them. Thank you! In Sweden we have a much higher alcohol tax; 70 cl of unbranded gin here is EUR 17,-. Food is more expensive too, so our savings in Spain are bigger. The list of household bills is very interesting and a great help for us who are planning to buy a property in Torrevieja. A great big THANK YOU from Anna and Sven in Malmö, Sweden. 👍🥰
Hi Svan, Thank you for your comments. Yes the tax on alcohol is a big factor on the shopping bill. Glad you found the video useful. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Great video and breakdown of cost between the 2 😀 As well as council tax been been a lot for what we get in the UK I also pay £170 each 6 months for Home Owner Services, which they cut the grass for us in a central parking area. HAHA. Lived in Mar De Crystal for 6 months and love Spain. Thanks again, keep up the videos!
Hi Scott, thanks for watching and for your comment. We are very happy with our very low communal charges at only 87€ every 6 months, for that we get street cleaning, pool maintenance and street lighting so we think it’s great value. Glad you are enjoying Spain , all the best, Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks again for a very informative video , im sure a lot of Brits have had a belly full of spanish bank charges .I will be driving over early Oct via the the ferry to Santander ,so might bump into you on my bike . Peter
Hi Peter, yes the Spanish bank charges are very high, I'm sure they are losing lots of customers at the moment. There are so many online banks offering better deals so why pay 160€ a year for something that can cost you nothing elsewhere. Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
Bello Mike and Yvonne you guys look like very friendly people, we like all your videos. We are from Holland a family of 4 and we are moving to costa blanca. Greets mike
Hi thanks for your informative video especially with utilities and property running costs compared to Uk housing expenses! Wish best of luck to both of you,thinking moving countries , could you do comparison video for the health care and education? Thanks 😊
Hi Leonidas, Thanks for watching and for your comment. We will put your request on the "to-do list" Although it is one for a permanent full-time resident/expat. We are second homeowners who are basically retired and we have travel insurance as opposed to using Spain's health insurance. The schools around Torrevieja are very good, there's a new school completed, last year near us in Torreta 2. Torrevieja is a growing town with plenty going on and developments continuing....Hope you are well, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes long shot : at the moment where I live and work (Essex Uk) ppl are very dissatisfied and see changes they don’t like ,other words saying basically region and the whole country is going downhill pretty fast… but no one wants to risk and do that crazy move ,moving the countries especially after brexit ,but this doesn’t apply to us as we are settled Europeans .we have family jobs home all is here in Uk . But I’m really serious about making a move as I can’t take it no more , would be also interesting to know if any jobs are available there just to keep us going making a bit of living and paying the bills also how’s local community friendly or not ? Helping and caring or not ? TIA
Great video guys! Really interesting. We are gonna be so much better off in Spain as our poll tax is over double what you have in your figures the energy bills are astronomical plus the missus is a proper wino and I have the very occasional beer too... well, that is how i remember it, the rest of the evening is a bit fuzzier as I lose count after number 2. Looks like I am gonna have to replace soft drinks with beer at the price of a Coke zero in Spain. Oh no, what a personal disaster! Also, I am bringing a breadmaker - can't stand that Bimbo and similar stuff. Congratatuons on your century. Love your channel, wishing you both lots of happiness and luck.
Hi Kev, thanks for the great comments. Yes wine is cheaper than Coke in Spain so why not make the best of it, as for the gin....well we are in. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Well done on a 100 videos 👍🏻 Very informative guys 🤩 As you know we sold up last year and bought a new bigger house in Barton Nr Preston 😊 Are plan now is to rent in Spain 🇪🇸 for a month at a time. We seen some advertised for less than a grand a month including bills. So our dream of visiting Spain isn’t quite over lol 😆👍🏻
Hi, sorry for the late reply. Thank you for your nice comments. We hope you continue to enjoy Spain as we do whichever way best suits you. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi, thanks for watching and for your inquiry. We are thinking of ways we can do it. I think we will put it on our buymeacoffee page for people to download soon.
Hi Colin, the figures are correct at the time of posting the video only a few weeks ago. we are back in the UK now for 3 months and experiencing their very expensive energy bills at the moment and they are going up again in January. Thanks for watching and commenting. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Fascinating insight, thank you both. A quick question if I may, and topical given the controversy re water companies, is your water bill in U.K. discounted for when you are absent? With regard to Spanish food, really interesting to see the differences in prices - although we find we tend to buy more local Spanish items when we are in Spain making our food bill even cheaper! Really enjoy these informative videos 🙏
Hi Rhian, Thanks for watching and for your comment. No, we don't get any discounts from the water company in the UK when we are not there and we are not on a meter either, preferring to pay without the meter as we were advised "we would be slightly better off without one", not sure why but we went along with it. Thanks again, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Tesco are no longer a budget supermarket, they are the biggest supermarket by market share and firmly priced at midrange. They only price match Aldi on a small number of items, everything else is a price hike free for all. Thanks for the video, it's a real eye opener.
Hi The Chodax, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I'll take that on board, I shouldn't have used the word "budget" should I. Anyway, they did compare quite well with Mercadona except for the alcohol....Thanks again, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes Hi Mike. I've used Mercadona many times and always found them to be reasonable, especially the booze. Unfortunately at the moment UK supermarkets are ripping us all off, especially Tesco with their clubcard only deals. You just know that the Spanish government would not let them get away with the tricks they do over here. All the big supermarkets have just been busted for price fixing fuel last year, conveniently all at the same time. In any other country that'd be considered a cartel?
We sold up 18 months ago, before then we also had a Sabadel bank account, we ditched them and opened a Starling Euro/ GBPounds account. We had trouble getting some of our direct debits sorted, but that was just after Brexit, so I don’t think companies were quite ready. Seems to be a similar online bank to your new one. Looks like you had better luck than us. We were also “90 dayers”
Hi Willsgrandad, thanks for watching and your comments. We are pleased that the direct debit transfers went well, swapping them over from Sabadell to Wise. We haven't closed the Sabadell account yet but will on our return in September after we have paid our non-resident tax and checked all DD's have gone. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
whats your yearly transfer fees with the transfer wise, compaired to the bank charges, also is the house insurance ok with the property being empty for a certain length of time, just taking it all in for when we buy out there, very informative is the spreadsheet, cheers tony
Hi Tony, thanks for watching and for your comments. Wise takes a very small conversion fee when I swap pounds for euros (e.g. £500 costs £2.14 to change to euros) and I get the middle rate which is the exchange rate you see online and at the stock exchange etc. So I just keep enough euros in the account to manage in Spain and I can withdraw at the cash machines, (up to £200 per month free) if I need cash - but I try and pay everything with the card. It would never cost me anywhere the 40€ per quarter Sabadell charges. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi both, just come across your channel, very informative video. Can i ask as i don't think you mentioned it, what about health costs? Presume nhs in England but what's the cost in Spain or do you have separate insurance. Thanks in advance.
Hi Paulo, thanks for watching and commenting. Yes, health insurance in Spain is not something we have. As we are non-residents and we are only there for a maximum of 180 days per year, (in our case, in two chunks). Health insurance is a mandatory requirement of residency and if we were to go for a NLV then we would have to have it. for now, we make do with travel insurance which would give us coverage for medical emergencies and all the other things it covers. You can easily google Spanish health insurance costs online with many companies. Also worth a look at this www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-in-spain-including-the-balearic-and-canary-islands
100. vids well done.we have been to your mercadona supermarket and found prices roughly same as in austria, however, quality is good and more shocking, their salt and vinegar chips best we ever had and the asparugus tips excellent. they have alot of english type products eg wettabix to chedder, that we cant get in austria and all good quality. we come golfing to spain and it is half price compaired to austria, that is why we are looking at vista bella golf complex,eating out menu del dia is always great, as in austria a schnitzel and 2 beers is already 20 euros no starter or desert,..... if i time everything correctly we might be able to meet in october on the next holiday. till then cheers chris and dani from vienna austria
Hi Chris and Dani, yes it's great value in Spain, sounds like possibly your cost of living in Austria is higher than in the UK...Anyway Thanks for watching and all the best from us Mike and Yvonne.
Fantastic video! Congratulations on you're 100th video. I was very interested in your financial comparison and accounting spreadsheet. Do you do this yourself or use an app? If you have a template I could use to do a similar thing for our spanish home, please let me know. I would be happy to pay😊
Hi Josseton9435, Thanks for watching and for your comment. We just use Numbers on Mac to do the spreadsheet. It's a free program with Apple computers, similar to Excel. You are not the first to want a copy of this, we will have to think of a way to do it. Maybe on our buy me a coffee site. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Josseton9435, you can now download a copy of our Numbers spreadsheet on our buymeacoffee page here: www.buymeacoffee.com/betweenthelakes/e/151878?from_page=extras Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
I have a place in La zenia, I also live in Yorkshire. It is a bit like location, location. You can find cheaper properties inland, a few miles from the coast. Also the supermarkets are cheaper a few miles inland. It is very difficult to compare eggs with eggs but I agree, in general Spain is cheaper.
Hi Roysgarage7284, thanks for watching and for your comment. Yes, it can change quite a bit, especially away from the coast. Our prices were based on the area we are from and where our subscribers know us from. It is difficult to get it exactly right for everyone but I think we give as fair as we can get, comparison. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike I’m with sabadel bank . The bank charges are a bit much , may I ask you is it easy to transfer your standing orders to the new bank ,also do they charge for using there bank . Great vlog as always Lyndon
Hi Lyndon, Yes it's easy to change, we went to all the companies in person and did it at their offices to make sure it was done. Now we will wait till the last one goes through and close the Sabadell account. Wise have very small charges and they are very upfront with their fees. Check them out on RUclips, there are many reviews and comparisons on there. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Interesting video, NZ resident here, most costs here are comparable, overall somewhat cheaper, but the one that stood out was home insurance, here I pay £700 per/annum for around £350,000 rebuild. What is your insurance rebuild value?
Hi Peter, thanks for watching and commenting. Our house is a small, band A council tax (cheapest) worth about £150,000. The insurance we are paying needs updating as I think it may not now cover us for being out of the country as long as we are. I think the policy would be nearer £200. Our insurance in Spain does cover us for being away for long periods. Next years spreadsheet will most likely have the new revised figure on it. Thanks again, Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks for the info. How do you do your shopping in Spain? on-line and delivery or do you cycle there. I'm thinking of being car-less and the practicalities of getting about for essential items.
Hi Deb, we do all our shopping on our bikes at the supermarket. You can get a lot more on your bike than you think. See this episode: ruclips.net/video/Vu6oY5F-R98/видео.html Thanks for watching and for your comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi. Love your videos. We do the same as you in splitting our time 90/90 UK and the Malaga area. How do you get the TV licence refund ? I can't get past the AI assistant who thinks I want to cancel it !
Hi, thanks for watching and for your comment. Yes, we cancel the TV licence when we go away and get it again when we come back. We pay quarterly and if we have overpaid they refund the amount overpaid. Since we started doing it I think we have had to start from scratch each time, they won't let you cancel it and then re-start it. The licence is for the address so as long as you have one when you're there that's all that matters. We don't see why we should pay for something we are not going to use as it is now quite expensive for us and Iplayer doesn't work outside the UK and we don't have cable TV. You could also ring them up and talk to them, they are quite helpful and will refund any overpayments. Hope this helps, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike and Yvonne , thanks for the video it very informative and interesting to see the differences , my wife Melanie and l bought our house just down the road from you in El Limonar in Aug 2021 and we have been wondering how prices compare overall with all the day to day costs, we go back every month for a week as aposted to 2/3 months at a time. My question is does your anual community charge include a comunal pool? Keep up the great videos and we hope to bump into you some day, cheers Steve
Hi Steve, Yes we have a communal pool which is in with our annual communal charge of 174€. We should use it more but only go a couple of times a year but it's very nice to have it and the communal charge also covers the maintenance of the streets, cleaning and lighting etc. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvone.
Evening Guys. Great video, as always.👍 We too have just purchased a property through Casas Espania & can highly recommend them. A quick question re your Spanish water charges, is the supply charged on a meter? ATB Simon & Sue
Hi Simon and Sue, Yes we are on a meter for the water bills. No doubt you'll be watching "Brits living in Spain" from the owners of Casas Espania, if not, have a look...www.youtube.com/@britslivinginspain Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes thanks for water meter info Guys 👍. We have indeed watched Brits Living in Spain. In fact Sue appeared in the opening credits of Andy & Helen's latest weekend vlog. She's not had too many autograph hunters so far though! 😆. ATB Simon & Sue
@@simonhopkinson1815 Ah, okay now we know who you are....lol. So pleased Casas Espania has sorted you out with a property. They looked after us very well also. It looks like an El Salado property on the video, they are very nice. If it isn't you must be somewhere near us, we are in Altos del Limonar just down the road from Casas Espania.. No Doubt we'll bump into you at some point. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes Very good detective work Guys 😀. We're just on from El Salado, around the corner on Paraje Natural 3. Literally the other side of the roundabout from the Casas Espania office. Buying from Andy & Helen felt like buying from your friends. We even got to have a beer across at Bar Quick with Bob. #HiBob 😀. We look forward to saying hello in Bar Pat or the Oasis or similar. We don't complete till late September, so it will be a while yet though. Hasta Pronto Simon & Sue
Thank you for great breakdown of bills Yours Spanish bills are very low I use wise now and have only had one mistake working well. Not sure if I'm on the best electric company or rate
Hi Stephen, thanks for watching and for your comments. We are with Iberdrola and they seem ok but you have to see them or email them every 6 months to make sure you are on the best tariff. All the best Mike and Yvonne
@@BetweenTheLakes Really like the spreadsheet Should do one as well Same as you I had a Spanish bank not now I don't understand why they try and rip us off eventually they will lose lots if English Your community charge is also very low which is good
Hi Stephen, thanks for watching and for your comment. It seems lots of our watchers have requested the same thing. We are working on how to do it. Keep watching and we will come up with an answer, probably on our buymeacoffee page. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi John, thanks for watching and for your comment. Wise bank, formally known as Transferwise are not just a transfer service they also do accounts in multiple currencies. I have a GBP account and a Euro account and I have cards I can use in UK and in Spain. I have also sorted out all my direct debits to go through Wise so I have no need for the very expensive Sabadell Bank anymore. Their charges are very transparent and very small saving me a small fortune over Sabadell. (£160€ per year) If you google them online or watch this: ruclips.net/video/HYbaWVkpvDM/видео.html
@@BetweenTheLakes Well I’m surprised. I’ve been using Wise intermittently for 10 years. Not large transfers but significant for me. I wanted to send money to Ireland and after considerable research went with Wise. I have saved a fortune because while banks don’t charge you for the transfer they make a huge profit on the rate of exchange. GOOD FOR YOU 👍👍👍
Hi Peter, it may be that we didn't spend as many days in Spain that year because we stayed in UK for the birth of our sixth grandchild where we normally would have been in Spain. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks for video, we moved to spain 5yrs ago, definatly much cheaper living expenses than UK, I tell my husband that I drink wine instead of coca cola to save us money, 😂, we now buy a lot of supermarkets own brand too which is cheaper again 🎉
Great job, on your 💯 video🎉🎉 Very informative and useful. Your calculations are very interesting and useful as a guideline for in a similar house in Torrevieja, in your neighborhood.😉👌👍 Also for EU resident's. I could compare prices with it in Holland 👍😉 Mike and Yvonne, is there a way to put the Exel sheet on RUclips for Download? Thank you for all your efforts and excellent videos 👍🤳
Hi TheHenricus69, thank you, glad you found the episode useful. We are not sure if we can put the spreadsheet on RUclips but we could put it on our buy me a coffee page for download I think, we will look into it...Thanks for watching. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
We love your videos, one of the main reasons we want to move to Torrevieja. Just with community fees, do you find they increase a lot throughout the years? Also is it common for communities to have extra charges often above what the annual fee is? Just worried buying in a community and having unknown fees come up.
Hi Laura, thanks for watching and for your comment. We can only speak for ourselves but our communal fees have not changed at all since moving in in 2017. Also our Suma, (council tax) is also the same price as it was in our first year.
@@BetweenTheLakes Hi Mike and Yvonne 🥂 Thanks for your response as it helps us better understand how "volatile" or not, community fees can be. We sincerely hope we can see you both around Torrevieja soon. Warm regards from Australia Laura & Walter 😉🙂
Hi, thanks for watching, we don't have Spanish Medical cover, we have travel insurance which is all the cover we need since we are not residents of Spain. The cover is for annual travel and covers up to 94-day trips which is perfect for us as we are governed by the 90-day rule anyway. At the moment it costs us £150.00 per year, it will go up as we get older. There is also G-hic card which is free and has some cover for medical, not sure exactly what it covers, would have to look it up. It used to be the E-hic when we were in EU but now it is G-hic (Global as opposed to Europe)
Really informative video, on the grocery shopping, the majority of the difference is in the price of alcohol, be useful to show a total without as many people don't drink or only very little.
Hi Pulpdiction 1999, That's what we thought after, we were surprised by certain items and it was the alcohol that made the difference in the end. We may later do a shopping list without alcohol to see how it compares, in the future. Thanks for watching All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi been living in this area for around a year and half. I think your prices are about right. Diffrence in shopping without the booze would be around 6 pound cheaped than UK.
Guy's great informative content, brilliant. I suppose the NLV route wasn't for you , everyone's circumstances are different i know. I am sifting through all my options, do i apply for a NLV or do what you do , 90 \ 180. Staying full time isn't an option, the Spanish taxation for that is Too scary. Keep Up the great work.
Hi Eddie, Yes it's a big committment to live in Spain and break all ties including where you pay your tax, so it should be taken very seriously with great thought. Everyones circumstances are different, as you say. If you are retired with no intention of working and you want to live permenantly in Spain, then the NLV is the best way to go, unless you have lots and lots of money then the Golden Visa could be another option. It's a whole new episode right there, lol We are very happy, at the moment to do the 90 days option as er still enjoy being in the UK to see our family. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you so much for this very informative information. Our experience as well is that most costs other than alchohol is very similar. We have a property in Javea, Alicante province. Where I can't relate to your Spanish costs are in property tax and non-resident tax. We pay 8 x what you are showing here. Are you properties, values, size etc in UK and Spain equal? - if not, I think you need to normalise these!!
Hi Brian, thanks for watching and for your comments. We live in a band A terrace house in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire (we downsized in 2021) and all the costs on the spreadsheet are what we pay. Our Spanish property is a small two-bedroomed upper bungalow in Torrevieja. All the costs for both properties are what we paid and are paying. I think the property tax ( we only pay that once when we bought our house, 10% of the value) can be slightly different in different regions, you may want to check, we are in the Valencian community in the Alicante region. We did a video all about our non-resident tax, what it is, how to work it out and how to pay it. It is worked out on the cadastral value of your property. If yours is eight times what we pay you must have a much bigger house than we do. Also we don't pay anyone anymore for filling out the 210 form which can be quite expensive. Hope this helps, Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Lorna, we have insurance with Virgin. They give us cover for 94 days while we are in Spain. The older you get the more it costs i think we are paying around £149.52 but that's fine for us and all we feel that we need at the moment. Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes Hi, just discovered your video today and really enjoy it (subscribed already). Can I please ask 1 question: About the insurance you paid £149.52, is it health insurance or travel insurance? and that price for annually or for 94 days? Thank you in advance.
@@sophiado9002 Hi Sophia, it's travel insurance with Virgin Money in the UK and it's £149.52 for the year (multitrip). We went with them because they allow trips of up to 94 days, a lot only allow up to 30 and 60 days. We haven't got Spanish health insurance because we are not residents and it would not be good value not being there for 365 days a year. Cheers, Mike and Yvonne.
Hey Mike / Yvonne - great video , very informative and a fantastic comparison. I have two questions A) in the comparison is your Uk house also a 2 bed home? B) are you paying any bank charges for your new Transferwise Account? Is this bank recognised in Spain?
Hi Yogi, sorry for the late reply, Our UK house is a small Terrace house with an extension which gives us a 3rd bedroom in Band A Council tax. Wise bank have very small charges for things like exchanging currencies see ruclips.net/video/MK_WF1uJU1g/видео.html. We have successfully swapped all our DD's now to Wise. I'm just going to wait until October before I close the Sabadell account just to make sure they all go through ok. The bank has a Belgian IBAN number but all have accepted it. Thanks for watching, all the best, Mike and Yvonne
@@BetweenTheLakes Modest home and lifestyle in UK with low running cost, (terrace home, council tax band A). For me this is the key to living the sort of life you now enjoy.
@@100Noddy Yes that's how we see it. As I became forced into early retirement through Covid in 2020 (I was a self-employed camera operator/editor with no work coming in), we sold our 4 bedroomed house and downsized to this one. The money we made saw me through until my state pension which started in Aug 2022.
Hi Dave, thanks for watching, at the end of the video we do a price comparison between our local Spanish supermarket, Mercadona and our local UK supermarket Tesco. We have done many videos on the cost of eating out. You can see them all here: studio.ruclips.net/user/playlistPLK3oYDMqNX-6kxXG-ifOHqMahEKh8ayeP/edit All the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@davylloydful Hi David, have you seen our spreadsheet, it has everything on regarding living expenses. We spend about 100 euros per month on groceries and something like 200 euros per month on eating out. We have a very frugel lifestyle and could easily run both our UK house and our Spanish house on £2000 per month with money to spare. It all depends on your lifestyle and how you live your lives, we could easily do it on your budget. Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi who is the best place to hire a apartment for villa martin. I seen on web in the sun holidays. Also whats best way to get to Torrivejca from villamartin plaza. Thanks
Hi Steve, there are a few estate agents in Villa Martin Plaza. They would be far better equipped to answer your query. We don’t know them as we don’t often go there. There is a regular bus from La Zenia Boulevard to Torrevieja which is not far from Villa Martin, and I’m sure there will be a bus from Villa Martin to La Zenia bouldvard. Thanks for watching. All the best, Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks guys for another good informative video, very interested in the bank accounts situation as find Spanish bank charges a real pain, but was told that most of the services would only accept direct debits from Spanish accounts ?. As for food price comparison, you have had to do a like for like examples, but of course if you shop around a bit you can find prices a lot cheaper, especially in places like the Economy supermarket and Pepco, although shopping around next time out will be harder until I replace my stolen bikes 🙄🙄🤣🤣, keep up the great work 👍
Hi Brian, hope you are well and recovering from the theft of your bike. Yes, we were worried about the DD's only being accepted from Spanish banks but we went round in person to all our services and did it. We had no problems except the water company, but they accepted it in the end so all is well. That is the reason I am hanging on until October (when all DD's will have gone through) before I close my Sabadell account. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Yeah, was the water company I was thinking about most, got confused last night, tried looking up transferwise to check them out, but could not find them ? Seems they are called Wise now🤔, hope it all works out for you and if so will probably give them a try, many thanks again 👍
Whenever you watch these programs on tv about spain, the british who do work, work 15 hour days for about a £5 hour. All right to retire too but better options like thailand Malaysia
We are the same Ish in Arboleas, 2 months of bank charges we swooped to wise, you can only take out 200 per month with a card, unicaja it’s free withdrawal, going to try modelo ourselves little scary
Hi Tomm5228, thanks for watching. Yes it's a good idea to swap to Wise and yes only 200 per month in cash is allowed for free, but it's not much to get another 200, and certainly cheaper than Sabadell charges who charge you 40€ per quarter for ???. Once you have done the Modelo once you'll never look back it takes about 10 mins.All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike & Yvonne, A few questions, if I may. Would a property being bought in just the husband's name only require 1 form being filled in for the Non Residents Tax? Also, if a property is bought by just the husband (Irish & British Passport holder), would it automatically pass to the wife if he were to die or would he need to have this ensured via a Spanish Will? Alternatively if it was bought in joint names would the deceased 50% automatically pass to the survivor without the need for a Spanish Will? Is the Spanish Will only to ensure the passing on of a property to someone who is not a joint owner or spouse? TIA 😊 Joe
Hi Joe, thanks for watching and for your questions. We are not lawyers so we can only tell you what we think. On your first point, I’m fairly confident that the owner of the property is the only one liable to pay the non resident tax as he would be the sole owner. The other points about the will, we think the property would not automatically be passed without the proper Spanish will in place but we would recommend you get the advice of a Spanish lawyer on this and your other two questions. Sorry we couldn’t give you a more definite answer. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Jenny, yes it's Casas Espania they are based in La Siesta....casasespania.com/ we are very happy to recommend them, a great team headed by Helen and Gareth. Thanks for watching. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
good video. compairing sweden to spain lol. we will live like royalty on our swedish pensions in spain. got my swedish passport now so moving will be easy. our mortgage is paid off here in sweden and now we're saving hard to buy a new build in the costa del sol. may i ask is there taxes to pay when you buy a villa in spain?
Hi Isaac, Thanks for watching, yes, you are in a great position with your generous Swedish pension, hope you have fun searching for the ideal property that matches your needs. Yes, there is a tax on property purchases in Spain. I think it varies from region to region. We can only speak from our own experience. We paid 10% property tax on our house. If you watch our buying a house video we explain all our expenses in detail, maybe you'll find that one useful as well here it is: ruclips.net/video/vBll7m-aOz4/видео.html We have a playlist with some more relevant to Living in Spain: ruclips.net/p/PLK3oYDMqNX-7xPZHOjJ4osLGal9EVk-uk Thanks for you comments, all the best with your search. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Congratulations on your 100th vlog, I’m with Sabadell for my DD and want to reduce my bank charges, is the Bank you are moving called Wise or Transfer Wise? Thanks
Hi Phil, yes the bank was known as Wise and then rebranded recently to Transfer Wise. It's ideal as you can have multiple accounts in multiple currencies. We have a GBP account as well as a Euro account with them.It's easy to transfer currencies at very low cost. They do DD's and no charges, in fact they have generous interest rates on their accounts. Check them out on RUclips, there are loads of videos about comparisons with other banks. Thanks for watching. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@philgreen3376 Hi Phil, yes we had a similar problem with our water company Aguas del Arco (the only one we had a problem with) They questioned the number of digits n the IBAN number and the BE. but they did accept it in the end so all good, I've heard it's illegal for them to refuse it as it's an EU bank in Belgium, but I'm not sure. We went around personally to change them all at each office so we are quietly confident all will be well and we will save 160.00€ a year.
Is health care free in Spain for British people or do you need an insurance policy? And is health care as good. Have you allowed for UK bills being more expensive due to time spent in UK and also that winter in UK costs more due to lower temperatures!
Since Brexit, health care isn't free for non British residents or those who moved to Spain after the transition period ended. For British that were living there prior this period and applied for "residencia" the service is free and very good.
Hi Andrew, yes, you need health insurance. The Spanish health service is very good. A friend of our has just had a hip replacement and he was very happy with the service and the care he received. `see his channel, he's a RUclipsr and talks about it on his channel "Expat in Mazarron" ruclips.net/user/livegVIofc1uXD8?feature=share I think the bills in winter being more expensive in the UK than in Spain is a valid one. We pay a fixed direct debit amount, the same every month which includes gas which we haven't got in Spain. We usually come to Spain in March, which is quite chilly especially when the sun goes down. I think it's for you to decide after seeing the spreadsheet amounts, as these are the figures we actually pay. We think energy prices have gone up in both countries but it is still cheaper in Spain. Hope this helps, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.
We have gas central heating. Only use the radiators when it is very cold. We have the boiler on for hot water. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes if you had included gas heating I guess that would have made Spain look even cheaper as heating is a big outgoing in the UK.. I just ordered 500ltr of oil for £432 which we'll be lucky if that gets us to Christmas
The spreadsheet does include all our energy costs in both countries. In Spain, we have an oil-filled radiator, the costs of which will be in our electricity costs@@buckymoto1784
Hi Mick and Yvonne, like yourselves,my wife and I have just bought a holiday home in El Chaparral. Due to complete mid Oct 24. We have become great fans of your videos as there's loads of info on a wide variety of subjects. We've got to know the place through your videos. Can't wait to get the keys and start exploring.... thanks to you guys.
Hi Wayne, that's very nice of you to say. Thanks for watching our videos and we hope you like tonight's episode at 8.00pm about the Lidl supermarket prices in UK and Spain. Thanks again, Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
I have a property in Bolnuevo in Spain,
I actually love paying the council tax in Spain,our streets and area are spotless ,compared to the UK where it is horrendous!
Great video,great layout,really enjoyed this one 👍👍
Hi VodkaDave, Yes it's a real pleasure paying for a good value service like the Spanish Council tax. Pleased you enjoyed our video, Thanks for watching, all the best from Mike and Yvonne.
Bins emptied every day, not every 2 weeks like uk. It's the minor things that point you this direction.oh the sun of course
@@meeruisland Yes indeed, thanks for watching and for your comment....all the best Mike and Yvonne.
Bolnuevo - My nearest beach ❤❤❤❤
Fantastic info for anyone looking to move or buy in Spain. Thanks for putting the effort into this video. I hope you are both well.
Hi Jason, yes we are both well thank you, hope you are too. Thanks for watching and for your comments, Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
As someone considering buying in Spain, this is really useful information and price comparison. Thank you 😊
Hi Steve, so pleased you found it useful. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you both so much for making your videos, especially this one. My wife and I watched it and we both found it both interesting and incredibly helpful. We were in the area last week and paid a brief visit to La Siesta as we hadn’t visited before. We are planning on buying a holiday home next Spring so sharing your experiences is great! Many thanks & keep counting down the days to your flight back!
Hi @82fletch, thank you for watching and for your very nice comments. La Siesta is a great place with plenty of and a good selection of places to go and eat / drink. The new park will be finished this year and that looks like it's going to be a nice place to spend sunny days. Thanks again, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
New to your page - We are also looking at split living due to family commitments and time for us, and this video as been so helpful in allowing us to understand the true cost comparatives between these two great life styles. Thanks so much for all your efforts in educating people who are in our situation, it is much appreciated.
Hi Craig and Linzi, So pleased this video has been of some help to you, hope you find some of our others beneficial also. Thanks for watching and for your comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike and Yvonne, I’ve just come across your video and I have been watching up think you’re I was very clear on what you say. Your voice is a very soothing, which makes it that much easier to listen to. Look forward to your next video.
Hi Jacqui, Thanks for watching and for your very nice comments. So pleased you enjoyed this one, hope tou stay with us and watch plenty more. Thanks again, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike and Yvonne, thanks for your great videos and congratulations on your priceless 😀100th episode, brilliant up to date living costs comparison between Spain and UK, puts things into proper perspective for those like me considering a move to the Costas 🌴 wish you both all the best and looking forward to your next episode 🙂
Hi Yutubis, Thanks for watching and for your really nice comments. So pleased you enjoyed the episode. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Excellent. Appreciate you taking the time to produce it.
Hi Kevin, thanks for watching and we appreciate you taking time to comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Llike the spread sheet, it helps to see what bills can be, just subscribed to the channel 🎉
Hi meeruisland, Thanks for your subscription. Thanks for watching and commenting. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Another great informative vlog, I have watched all the 100 vlogs. Keep up the good work ☀️🇪🇸
Hi Lorna, Wow, you must have seen a lot of us, poor you. Let's hope we are still going strong at 200 videos. Thanks very much for watching and for your comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
This is possibly the most helpful video on RUclips for those of us thinking of getting a place on Spain.
My gas and electric is £3000 a year in the Uk (3 bed semi). If we can half that by being in Spain 90/180 the saving alone will cover your running costs of a Spanish property. Why would we not do that?
Hi Simon, thanks for watching and for your really good comments. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
It is very generous of you to provide so many details and a fascinating watch for me as a potential ex-pat in the future.
Hi Snoopers09, Thank you for watching and for your comment. We did a live reaction to the video last night looking at the comments and having a live chat. ruclips.net/user/livefrPN9yKouSI?feature=share you may want to see it. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
#migrant
Congratulations on your 100th video . Keep up the good work. And see your videos soon when back in Spain. Best wishes Phil Leyland.
Hi Philip, Thank you. we have a couple planned for when we are here. Thanks for watching, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
taking your time to do this for other people !!! lovely people!
Hi Gareth, Thanks for watching and for your nice comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Congratulations on your 100th video! Very informative, thank you.
Hi Sue, thank you for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
100th Video !!!! Amazing !!!! Congraturlations ! Hope you are both well. Amazing Vlog and very similar to my bills in Spain....very similar. You put such a lot of work into this (as you always do with your Vlogs) and gives an incredible perspective for people looking to move to Spain. Really looking forward to the next one 😎 x
Hi Patricia, Thank you for watching and for your kind comments. We like to do as good a job as we can. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.
Wow your U K bills are half what I pay living on my own ! The council tax really annoys me as it is so expensive 😮. I didn't know you could freeze your TV licence so thankyou for this information . I just wish we hadn't left the EU as we could live out in Spain permanently so much cheaper than rip off Britain 😢. Thankyou for such an informative video ( new subscriber) 😊
@@susieadams1553 Hi Susie, Thanks for your comment. We do live a very frugal lifestyle and have, over the last two or three years cut down on lots of things like cable TV, landline and broadband. That alone saved us a small fortune per month. We bought an air fryer so we didn't have to use the oven as much. All these things add up and after a while we didn't miss them.
Every time we go off to Spain now we ring up and cancel our TV licence and when we get back we re-instate it. I don't think you can freeze it as such, but that's the way that we do it and it works well. Thanks for watching and subscribing to our channel, it's much appreciated. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Congrats Mike and Yvonne on your 100th episode. Thank you so much for your wonderful and marvellous videos. We just bought a small holiday apartment in El Raso (Guardamar) to use in the wintertime. It's so great to see you guys biking around El Chaparral, Torrevieja, ... So brave of you. We are also planning to go around on an ebike. At least, that's the plan 🙂
Enjoy your holiday and hopefully we will see more videos from you. But for now, enjoy your time with friends & family. Way more important than RUclips 😉
Best regards from Belgium ❤
Hi JohnMichiels, Thank you for watching and for your very nice comments. We will be back there in September when our 90 days tops back up, and we'll stay till mid-November, so plenty more episodes to come. We have a couple in the can now which will be out soon, so keep on watching. Thanks again. Best wishes from Mike and Yvonne.
Great informative video for anyone thinking of doing the same as you (we are) . We are in Torrevieja at the moment 2nd visit this year sorry to hear you are back home. I love your videos and the humour within Looking forward to many more on your channel Keep up the excellent work.
Hi Gary, nice to hear from you. We will be back soon when our ninety days refresh and we will be back making more videos. Thanks for watching. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Simon, I would check with your electricity supplier. We use Iberdrola and they have a system that updates the best discounts every four months so you may be on a different tariff. You can check yours at Habaneras shopping centre or LeRoy Merlins they often have little stands there where you can ask them if you are on the best tariff, if not they will put you on it and tell you how to keep on the best discounts.(that's if you are with Iberdrola)
Very helpful thanks.
Hi marc, Thank you for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks for sharing this video, keep up the good work 👍
Hi, thanks for watching and commenting. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks for replying, I enjoyed watching your videos just came across today. Your content is informative and useful. You also cover important details that other people have missed, thanks 🙏👍
@@m.goodengumman3941 Thank you for your nice comments.....
Thank you both very much for your honesty with your facts and figures. This was very informative as we are thinking of buying a property in Spain.
Many thanks
Ian
Hi and thank you for your comment, glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Congratulations to you both on 100. Great content as always. Thankyou
Thanks Sharon, hope you are well. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hello to you both. I’ve just found your videos and will be working my way through them whilst I hear the rain battering down in Manchester. My wife and I nearly bought an apartment in Formentera Del Segura a few years back but life got in the way. I’m now 64 and toying with the idea again, plus I’m getting an Irish passport. After 2 heart attacks, which have been dealt with using stents, proximity to a decent hospital would be advantageous. You know, belt and braces and all that. We also have a Westie that we would be taking out with us. You may have dealt with issues like this in previous videos but I thought I’d ask before I go through them all. Thanks.
Hi, thanks for watching and for your comment. We don't know anything about the dog situation as we haven't got one but there are good hospitals in Costa Blanca, one in Torrevieja with services and treatments just as good as in the UK. You would need health insurance if you are intending to come with residency in mind. Good luck with the property hunting....All the best Mike and Yvonne.
This is wonderful! Thank you so much for making this video!
Hi Freydiiis96, thanks for watching and commenting.All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Just come across this video on your channel and as I am looking to buy this year, I am so thankful that you have taken the time to do this. Really helpful.....🤗
I was a little surprised when you said you were going to close your bank account in Spain....I thought it was mandatory for foreigners to have a spanish bank account when you own a property.
I agree that monthly charges are high, I pay nothing for my account here in Germany with the Santander bank.
Thanks again for the info...just pressed the abo button☺️
Hi Jay, thanks for watching. Good luck with your house hunting. We started with Sabadell Bank when we bought but the charges went up and up to a point that we could not afford them. We opened a Wise account and transferred the DDs to it, then we closed the Sabadell account.
It’s probably the best idea to start with them and charge when everything is in place and settled down.
Thanks for taking time to answer🙏
Thank you for doing this video it was so informative, others have tried but yours was the best by far. Keep up the good work.
Hi Sean, Thank you for your kind comment. We try to keep things simple and easy to understand with as many visual aids as possible. Thanks for watching. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.
Firstly congratulations on reaching your 100th video. Your videos are always entertaining and informative, with this one being no exception. In fact after watching this I'll change to a Wise account and do my own non resident tax return in future.
Well done both, enjoy your summer months in the UK.
Thanks, Wayne. We are just waiting until October before we close our Sabadell account just in case there's a problem, by October the last one will have gone through, although the wait will cost us another 40€ but that will be the last one. Thanks for watching, Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Brilliant video, costs in black and white,very informative,
Hi, thank you for watching and for your nice comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you for all your videos. I hope to move to Spain in 6 months and find your videos useful and enjoyable. I am moving primarily for financial reasons and you have confirmed my thoughts. Because I rent in the UK but will be buying a home in Spain the savings will be massive. I will be moving away from the UK permanently and retiring to the sun and will be far better off in many ways. Congratulations on 100 videos.
Hi Pete, So pleased you are benefiting from our videos. Thank you for your comments and for continuing to watch them. All the best with your search for a property. Best wishes Mike and Yvonne.
Most regret it I have found, do your homework and then some....paradise ? Dice, maybe.
@@jonedwards3033 Yes Jon, care must be taken and plenty of research is a must when making such a life-changing commitment. Thanks for your input, Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you for all of videos. Thoroughly enjoyed episode 100! 🥳🍻......here's to the 100! 👏. 3 2 1 ! Ping! Adios! Until next time, have a great week ahead Mike & Yvonne ! ☀️🌄
Hi Graham, We are glad you enjoyed ep 100, we wanted to make it a special one and it's certainly proved to be very popular. Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks for the info, we are in Punta Prima and just into our second year and find this very informative
Hi, pleased you found it useful. Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike & Yvonne, I have just subscribed to your channel = so ive got some catching up to do with watching your youtube vlogs - I just wanted to say a massive thank you to you both for posting this detailed information on the costa blanca, I often go on holiday to resorts in and around the benidorm area, so this is really helpful.
Hi whu58, Thank you very much for subscribing, we have done many videos that may interest you, about being in the Costa Blanca. We have a second home in Torrevieja in Southern Costa Blanca. We produce content about the area "Between the Lakes" plus plenty of informational videos about the 90-day rule, non-resident tax, interesting places to visit, restaurants & bars and other things relevant to people interested in visiting Spain as non-residents. Thanks for watching and for subscribing. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Congratulations on your 100th video and a very informative one it is too! I must get organised and do the same!! Perhaps a how to video on changing bank accounts as would appreciate advice on that 👍
Thank you, Diane, glad you found it useful and it inspires you to do a spreadsheet on your household bills. It really is useful to see it this way over a long period of time. We have thought about doing the bank change as a video, we will see how it goes....Thanks for watching and for your comments. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Good honest video. Obviously ways to save money in both countries but balances out. I didn't know about non resident tax, so thank you.
Hi Perunut4656, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Yes resident tax is there but it is very cheap in the grand scheme of things, especially when you consider how much council tax we pay. When we add our Suma (Spanish council tax) and the non-resident tax, it's still only about a third of our council tax in the UK. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Brilliant facts and figures, another great video thanks.
Hi Hayley, Thank you for your nice comment, glad you find the episode useful. Thanks for watching. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
A great video! I've been looking forward to this kind of facts, and now you present them. Thank you! In Sweden we have a much higher alcohol tax; 70 cl of unbranded gin here is EUR 17,-. Food is more expensive too, so our savings in Spain are bigger. The list of household bills is very interesting and a great help for us who are planning to buy a property in Torrevieja. A great big THANK YOU from Anna and Sven in Malmö, Sweden. 👍🥰
Hi Svan, Thank you for your comments. Yes the tax on alcohol is a big factor on the shopping bill. Glad you found the video useful. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes And the lesson is: If you want to save money in Spain, start drinking! 😄
@@Sven.Bornemark we are already there....lol
This video was so helpful. Thank you so much
Thank you Tina, glad you enjoyed it. All the best from Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you both. Very informative 👏
Hi Janine, Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you for the good informations❤
Hi Pap, Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best, Mike and Yvonne.
Great video and breakdown of cost between the 2 😀 As well as council tax been been a lot for what we get in the UK I also pay £170 each 6 months for Home Owner Services, which they cut the grass for us in a central parking area. HAHA. Lived in Mar De Crystal for 6 months and love Spain. Thanks again, keep up the videos!
Hi Scott, thanks for watching and for your comment. We are very happy with our very low communal charges at only 87€ every 6 months, for that we get street cleaning, pool maintenance and street lighting so we think it’s great value. Glad you are enjoying Spain , all the best, Mike and Yvonne.
Excellent info folks😊
Hi Eamon, Thanks for watching and commenting. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you very informative x
Hi Shartland, Glad it was helpful! All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you. That was really helpful.
Thanks Babs, Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks again for a very informative video , im sure a lot of Brits have had a belly full of spanish bank charges .I will be driving over early Oct via the the ferry to Santander ,so might bump into you on my bike . Peter
Hi Peter, yes the Spanish bank charges are very high, I'm sure they are losing lots of customers at the moment. There are so many online banks offering better deals so why pay 160€ a year for something that can cost you nothing elsewhere. Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
Bello Mike and Yvonne you guys look like very friendly people, we like all your videos. We are from Holland a family of 4 and we are moving to costa blanca. Greets mike
Hi, hope your move goes well. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi thanks for your informative video especially with utilities and property running costs compared to Uk housing expenses! Wish best of luck to both of you,thinking moving countries , could you do comparison video for the health care and education?
Thanks 😊
Hi Leonidas, Thanks for watching and for your comment. We will put your request on the "to-do list" Although it is one for a permanent full-time resident/expat. We are second homeowners who are basically retired and we have travel insurance as opposed to using Spain's health insurance. The schools around Torrevieja are very good, there's a new school completed, last year near us in Torreta 2. Torrevieja is a growing town with plenty going on and developments continuing....Hope you are well, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes long shot :
at the moment where I live and work (Essex Uk) ppl are very dissatisfied and see changes they don’t like ,other words saying basically region and the whole country is going downhill pretty fast… but no one wants to risk and do that crazy move ,moving the countries especially after brexit ,but this doesn’t apply to us as we are settled Europeans .we have family jobs home all is here in Uk . But I’m really serious about making a move as I can’t take it no more , would be also interesting to know if any jobs are available there just to keep us going making a bit of living and paying the bills also how’s local community friendly or not ? Helping and caring or not ?
TIA
Great video guys! Really interesting. We are gonna be so much better off in Spain as our poll tax is over double what you have in your figures the energy bills are astronomical plus the missus is a proper wino and I have the very occasional beer too... well, that is how i remember it, the rest of the evening is a bit fuzzier as I lose count after number 2.
Looks like I am gonna have to replace soft drinks with beer at the price of a Coke zero in Spain. Oh no, what a personal disaster!
Also, I am bringing a breadmaker - can't stand that Bimbo and similar stuff.
Congratatuons on your century. Love your channel, wishing you both lots of happiness and luck.
Hi Kev, thanks for the great comments. Yes wine is cheaper than Coke in Spain so why not make the best of it, as for the gin....well we are in. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Well done on a 100 videos 👍🏻 Very informative guys 🤩 As you know we sold up last year and bought a new bigger house in Barton Nr Preston 😊 Are plan now is to rent in Spain 🇪🇸 for a month at a time. We seen some advertised for less than a grand a month including bills. So our dream of visiting Spain isn’t quite over lol 😆👍🏻
Hi, sorry for the late reply. Thank you for your nice comments. We hope you continue to enjoy Spain as we do whichever way best suits you. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi, great channel. Im so glad ive found you. Is there any chance you can make your spreadsheets downloadable to share plz
Hi, thanks for watching and for your inquiry. We are thinking of ways we can do it. I think we will put it on our buymeacoffee page for people to download soon.
Hi, spreadsheet now available at: www.buymeacoffee.com/betweenthelakes/e/151878?from_page=extras
Glad I found this!
Glad it was helpful/useful to you. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
amazingly helpful video..is that the costs for electric ? here in Canada that's a huge difference ..wow..
Hi Colin, the figures are correct at the time of posting the video only a few weeks ago. we are back in the UK now for 3 months and experiencing their very expensive energy bills at the moment and they are going up again in January. Thanks for watching and commenting. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Fascinating insight, thank you both. A quick question if I may, and topical given the controversy re water companies, is your water bill in U.K. discounted for when you are absent?
With regard to Spanish food, really interesting to see the differences in prices - although we find we tend to buy more local Spanish items when we are in Spain making our food bill even cheaper!
Really enjoy these informative videos 🙏
Hi Rhian, Thanks for watching and for your comment. No, we don't get any discounts from the water company in the UK when we are not there and we are not on a meter either, preferring to pay without the meter as we were advised "we would be slightly better off without one", not sure why but we went along with it. Thanks again, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Tesco are no longer a budget supermarket, they are the biggest supermarket by market share and firmly priced at midrange. They only price match Aldi on a small number of items, everything else is a price hike free for all. Thanks for the video, it's a real eye opener.
Hi The Chodax, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I'll take that on board, I shouldn't have used the word "budget" should I. Anyway, they did compare quite well with Mercadona except for the alcohol....Thanks again, best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes Hi Mike. I've used Mercadona many times and always found them to be reasonable, especially the booze. Unfortunately at the moment UK supermarkets are ripping us all off, especially Tesco with their clubcard only deals. You just know that the Spanish government would not let them get away with the tricks they do over here. All the big supermarkets have just been busted for price fixing fuel last year, conveniently all at the same time. In any other country that'd be considered a cartel?
@@TheChodax Yes, indeed, a bit of a disgrace really but they seem to get away with it. There seems to be a lot wrong at the moment....
I thought the same ! Have they ever been similar to Aldi ??!!
We sold up 18 months ago, before then we also had a Sabadel bank account, we ditched them and opened a Starling Euro/ GBPounds account. We had trouble getting some of our direct debits sorted, but that was just after Brexit, so I don’t think companies were quite ready. Seems to be a similar online bank to your new one. Looks like you had better luck than us. We were also “90 dayers”
Hi Willsgrandad, thanks for watching and your comments. We are pleased that the direct debit transfers went well, swapping them over from Sabadell to Wise. We haven't closed the Sabadell account yet but will on our return in September after we have paid our non-resident tax and checked all DD's have gone. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
whats your yearly transfer fees with the transfer wise, compaired to the bank charges, also is the house insurance ok with the property being empty for a certain length of time, just taking it all in for when we buy out there, very informative is the spreadsheet, cheers tony
Hi Tony, thanks for watching and for your comments. Wise takes a very small conversion fee when I swap pounds for euros (e.g. £500 costs £2.14 to change to euros) and I get the middle rate which is the exchange rate you see online and at the stock exchange etc.
So I just keep enough euros in the account to manage in Spain and I can withdraw at the cash machines, (up to £200 per month free) if I need cash - but I try and pay everything with the card. It would never cost me anywhere the 40€ per quarter Sabadell charges. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi both, just come across your channel, very informative video. Can i ask as i don't think you mentioned it, what about health costs? Presume nhs in England but what's the cost in Spain or do you have separate insurance. Thanks in advance.
Hi Paulo, thanks for watching and commenting. Yes, health insurance in Spain is not something we have. As we are non-residents and we are only there for a maximum of 180 days per year, (in our case, in two chunks). Health insurance is a mandatory requirement of residency and if we were to go for a NLV then we would have to have it. for now, we make do with travel insurance which would give us coverage for medical emergencies and all the other things it covers. You can easily google Spanish health insurance costs online with many companies. Also worth a look at this www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-in-spain-including-the-balearic-and-canary-islands
Interesting. Have you done a comparison on cost of travel options as a home owner, travel to Spain and travel within Spain?
Hi 100Noddy, thanks for watching and for your comment. No, we haven't but it sounds like a good idea....all the best, Mike and Yvonne.
Great video much appreciated
Hi, thank you for watching and your nice comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
100. vids well done.we have been to your mercadona supermarket and found prices roughly same as in austria, however, quality is good and more shocking, their salt and vinegar chips best we ever had and the asparugus tips excellent. they have alot of english type products eg wettabix to chedder, that we cant get in austria and all good quality. we come golfing to spain and it is half price compaired to austria, that is why we are looking at vista bella golf complex,eating out menu del dia is always great, as in austria a schnitzel and 2 beers is already 20 euros no starter or desert,..... if i time everything correctly we might be able to meet in october on the next holiday. till then cheers chris and dani from vienna austria
Hi Chris and Dani, yes it's great value in Spain, sounds like possibly your cost of living in Austria is higher than in the UK...Anyway Thanks for watching and all the best from us Mike and Yvonne.
Brilliant 🎥 thank you
Thanks for watching Jo, best wishes,Mike and Yvonne.
Very good comparisons 👍
Hi Paulius, Thanks for watching. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Fantastic video! Congratulations on you're 100th video. I was very interested in your financial comparison and accounting spreadsheet. Do you do this yourself or use an app? If you have a template I could use to do a similar thing for our spanish home, please let me know. I would be happy to pay😊
Hi Josseton9435, Thanks for watching and for your comment. We just use Numbers on Mac to do the spreadsheet. It's a free program with Apple computers, similar to Excel. You are not the first to want a copy of this, we will have to think of a way to do it. Maybe on our buy me a coffee site. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Josseton9435, you can now download a copy of our Numbers spreadsheet on our buymeacoffee page here: www.buymeacoffee.com/betweenthelakes/e/151878?from_page=extras Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
I have a place in La zenia, I also live in Yorkshire.
It is a bit like location, location.
You can find cheaper properties inland, a few miles from the coast. Also the supermarkets are cheaper a few miles inland.
It is very difficult to compare eggs with eggs but I agree, in general Spain is cheaper.
Hi Roysgarage7284, thanks for watching and for your comment. Yes, it can change quite a bit, especially away from the coast. Our prices were based on the area we are from and where our subscribers know us from. It is difficult to get it exactly right for everyone but I think we give as fair as we can get, comparison. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
We have a house in Barcelona..I visit about 5 times a year...lots of food is cheaper in uk now...even some fruit and vegetables !!
Hi Tom, thanks for watching and for your comment. Yes there are some anomalies in both countries we have noticed. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike I’m with sabadel bank . The bank charges are a bit much , may I ask you is it easy to transfer your standing orders to the new bank ,also do they charge for using there bank . Great vlog as always Lyndon
Hi Lyndon, Yes it's easy to change, we went to all the companies in person and did it at their offices to make sure it was done. Now we will wait till the last one goes through and close the Sabadell account. Wise have very small charges and they are very upfront with their fees. Check them out on RUclips, there are many reviews and comparisons on there. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Interesting video, NZ resident here, most costs here are comparable, overall somewhat cheaper, but the one that stood out was home insurance, here I pay £700 per/annum for around £350,000 rebuild. What is your insurance rebuild value?
Hi Peter, thanks for watching and commenting. Our house is a small, band A council tax (cheapest) worth about £150,000. The insurance we are paying needs updating as I think it may not now cover us for being out of the country as long as we are. I think the policy would be nearer £200. Our insurance in Spain does cover us for being away for long periods. Next years spreadsheet will most likely have the new revised figure on it. Thanks again, Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks for the info. How do you do your shopping in Spain? on-line and delivery or do you cycle there. I'm thinking of being car-less and the practicalities of getting about for essential items.
Hi Deb, we do all our shopping on our bikes at the supermarket. You can get a lot more on your bike than you think. See this episode: ruclips.net/video/Vu6oY5F-R98/видео.html Thanks for watching and for your comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hi. Love your videos. We do the same as you in splitting our time 90/90 UK and the Malaga area. How do you get the TV licence refund ? I can't get past the AI assistant who thinks I want to cancel it !
Hi, thanks for watching and for your comment. Yes, we cancel the TV licence when we go away and get it again when we come back. We pay quarterly and if we have overpaid they refund the amount overpaid. Since we started doing it I think we have had to start from scratch each time, they won't let you cancel it and then re-start it. The licence is for the address so as long as you have one when you're there that's all that matters. We don't see why we should pay for something we are not going to use as it is now quite expensive for us and Iplayer doesn't work outside the UK and we don't have cable TV.
You could also ring them up and talk to them, they are quite helpful and will refund any overpayments. Hope this helps, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes thanks, we'll do that in future. We can pause our Internet and mobile when not in Spain but doing similar in the UK isn't so easy !
Great insight guys. Thank you for sharing. We’d save a fortune on alcohol alone 😂
Hi Cornwall and Beyond, hope you are well, yes we like the odd tipple....Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne
Hi Mike and Yvonne , thanks for the video it very informative and interesting to see the differences , my wife Melanie and l bought our house just down the road from you in El Limonar in Aug 2021 and we have been wondering how prices compare overall with all the day to day costs, we go back every month for a week as aposted to 2/3 months at a time.
My question is does your anual community charge include a comunal pool?
Keep up the great videos and we hope to bump into you some day, cheers
Steve
Hi Steve, Yes we have a communal pool which is in with our annual communal charge of 174€. We should use it more but only go a couple of times a year but it's very nice to have it and the communal charge also covers the maintenance of the streets, cleaning and lighting etc. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvone.
Thats really helpful thank you ❤❤❤❤❤
Hi Angela, thanks for watching and for your nice comment. All the best, Mike and Yvonne
Evening Guys. Great video, as always.👍 We too have just purchased a property through Casas Espania & can highly recommend them. A quick question re your Spanish water charges, is the supply charged on a meter? ATB Simon & Sue
Hi Simon and Sue, Yes we are on a meter for the water bills. No doubt you'll be watching "Brits living in Spain" from the owners of Casas Espania, if not, have a look...www.youtube.com/@britslivinginspain
Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes thanks for water meter info Guys 👍. We have indeed watched Brits Living in Spain. In fact Sue appeared in the opening credits of Andy & Helen's latest weekend vlog. She's not had too many autograph hunters so far though! 😆. ATB Simon & Sue
@@simonhopkinson1815 Ah, okay now we know who you are....lol.
So pleased Casas Espania has sorted you out with a property. They looked after us very well also. It looks like an El Salado property on the video, they are very nice. If it isn't you must be somewhere near us, we are in Altos del Limonar just down the road from Casas Espania.. No Doubt we'll bump into you at some point. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes Very good detective work Guys 😀. We're just on from El Salado, around the corner on Paraje Natural 3. Literally the other side of the roundabout from the Casas Espania office. Buying from Andy & Helen felt like buying from your friends. We even got to have a beer across at Bar Quick with Bob. #HiBob 😀. We look forward to saying hello in Bar Pat or the Oasis or similar. We don't complete till late September, so it will be a while yet though. Hasta Pronto Simon & Sue
Thank you for great breakdown of bills Yours Spanish bills are very low I use wise now and have only had one mistake working well. Not sure if I'm on the best electric company or rate
Hi Stephen, thanks for watching and for your comments. We are with Iberdrola and they seem ok but you have to see them or email them every 6 months to make sure you are on the best tariff. All the best Mike and Yvonne
@@BetweenTheLakes Really like the spreadsheet Should do one as well Same as you I had a Spanish bank not now I don't understand why they try and rip us off eventually they will lose lots if English Your community charge is also very low which is good
Would love a copy of that spreadsheet
Hi Stephen, thanks for watching and for your comment. It seems lots of our watchers have requested the same thing. We are working on how to do it. Keep watching and we will come up with an answer, probably on our buymeacoffee page. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Spreadsheet now available at www.buymeacoffee.com/betweenthelakes/e/151878?from_page=extras
many thanks
Thanks for watching…all the best, Mike and Yvonne.
I thought Transfer Wise ( now just called Wise) were only good for currency exchange?
Hi John, thanks for watching and for your comment. Wise bank, formally known as Transferwise are not just a transfer service they also do accounts in multiple currencies. I have a GBP account and a Euro account and I have cards I can use in UK and in Spain. I have also sorted out all my direct debits to go through Wise so I have no need for the very expensive Sabadell Bank anymore. Their charges are very transparent and very small saving me a small fortune over Sabadell. (£160€ per year) If you google them online or watch this: ruclips.net/video/HYbaWVkpvDM/видео.html
@@BetweenTheLakes Well I’m surprised. I’ve been using Wise intermittently for 10 years. Not large transfers but significant for me. I wanted to send money to Ireland and after considerable research went with Wise. I have saved a fortune because while banks don’t charge you for the transfer they make a huge profit on the rate of exchange. GOOD FOR YOU 👍👍👍
Afternoon Mike just a quick question i notice your electric bill is quite a lot cheaper in 2022 compared to earlier years in Spain. Peter
Hi Peter, it may be that we didn't spend as many days in Spain that year because we stayed in UK for the birth of our sixth grandchild where we normally would have been in Spain. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks for video, we moved to spain 5yrs ago, definatly much cheaper living expenses than UK, I tell my husband that I drink wine instead of coca cola to save us money, 😂, we now buy a lot of supermarkets own brand too which is cheaper again 🎉
Hi Elaine, yes that's a good one, that's why I drink lots of gin, it's an economy drive....Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
Great job, on your 💯 video🎉🎉
Very informative and useful.
Your calculations are very interesting and useful as a guideline for in a similar house in Torrevieja, in your neighborhood.😉👌👍
Also for EU resident's.
I could compare prices with it in Holland 👍😉
Mike and Yvonne, is there a way to put the Exel sheet on RUclips for Download?
Thank you for all your efforts and excellent videos 👍🤳
Hi TheHenricus69, thank you, glad you found the episode useful. We are not sure if we can put the spreadsheet on RUclips but we could put it on our buy me a coffee page for download I think, we will look into it...Thanks for watching. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Hello Mike and Yvonne 👋
Perhaps you could try to put the Exel sheet on a cloud ☁️ Server?
We love your videos, one of the main reasons we want to move to Torrevieja.
Just with community fees, do you find they increase a lot throughout the years? Also is it common for communities to have extra charges often above what the annual fee is? Just worried buying in a community and having unknown fees come up.
Hi Laura, thanks for watching and for your comment. We can only speak for ourselves but our communal fees have not changed at all since moving in in 2017. Also our Suma, (council tax) is also the same price as it was in our first year.
@@BetweenTheLakes
Hi Mike and Yvonne 🥂
Thanks for your response as it helps us better understand how "volatile" or not, community fees can be.
We sincerely hope we can see you both around Torrevieja soon.
Warm regards from Australia
Laura & Walter 😉🙂
Genial. It's very interesting.
Hi Zoya, thanks for watching and for your nice comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Timely video, been semi retired SE Asia now thinking of Europe. What about medical cover when your in Spain?, thanks
Hi, thanks for watching, we don't have Spanish Medical cover, we have travel insurance which is all the cover we need since we are not residents of Spain. The cover is for annual travel and covers up to 94-day trips which is perfect for us as we are governed by the 90-day rule anyway. At the moment it costs us £150.00 per year, it will go up as we get older. There is also G-hic card which is free and has some cover for medical, not sure exactly what it covers, would have to look it up. It used to be the E-hic when we were in EU but now it is G-hic (Global as opposed to Europe)
Really informative video, on the grocery shopping, the majority of the difference is in the price of alcohol, be useful to show a total without as many people don't drink or only very little.
Hi Pulpdiction 1999, That's what we thought after, we were surprised by certain items and it was the alcohol that made the difference in the end. We may later do a shopping list without alcohol to see how it compares, in the future. Thanks for watching All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi been living in this area for around a year and half. I think your prices are about right. Diffrence in shopping without the booze would be around 6 pound cheaped than UK.
@@mrrestell, Yes, the booze makes a big difference and without would be as you say....Thanks for watching, Mike and Yvonne.
Guy's great informative content, brilliant. I suppose the NLV route wasn't for you , everyone's circumstances are different i know. I am sifting through all my options, do i apply for a NLV or do what you do , 90 \ 180. Staying full time isn't an option, the Spanish taxation for that is Too scary. Keep Up the great work.
Hi Eddie, Yes it's a big committment to live in Spain and break all ties including where you pay your tax, so it should be taken very seriously with great thought. Everyones circumstances are different, as you say. If you are retired with no intention of working and you want to live permenantly in Spain, then the NLV is the best way to go, unless you have lots and lots of money then the Golden Visa could be another option. It's a whole new episode right there, lol We are very happy, at the moment to do the 90 days option as er still enjoy being in the UK to see our family. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you so much for this very informative information. Our experience as well is that most costs other than alchohol is very similar. We have a property in Javea, Alicante province. Where I can't relate to your Spanish costs are in property tax and non-resident tax. We pay 8 x what you are showing here. Are you properties, values, size etc in UK and Spain equal? - if not, I think you need to normalise these!!
Hi Brian, thanks for watching and for your comments. We live in a band A terrace house in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire (we downsized in 2021) and all the costs on the spreadsheet are what we pay. Our Spanish property is a small two-bedroomed upper bungalow in Torrevieja. All the costs for both properties are what we paid and are paying. I think the property tax ( we only pay that once when we bought our house, 10% of the value) can be slightly different in different regions, you may want to check, we are in the Valencian community in the Alicante region.
We did a video all about our non-resident tax, what it is, how to work it out and how to pay it. It is worked out on the cadastral value of your property. If yours is eight times what we pay you must have a much bigger house than we do. Also we don't pay anyone anymore for filling out the 210 form which can be quite expensive. Hope this helps, Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Thank you for this interesting video. Do you have health insurance in Spain too? If so, which company do you use?
Thank you!
Hi Lorna, we have insurance with Virgin. They give us cover for 94 days while we are in Spain. The older you get the more it costs i think we are paying around £149.52 but that's fine for us and all we feel that we need at the moment. Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes thank you!
@@BetweenTheLakes Hi, just discovered your video today and really enjoy it (subscribed already). Can I please ask 1 question: About the insurance you paid £149.52, is it health insurance or travel insurance? and that price for annually or for 94 days? Thank you in advance.
@@sophiado9002 Hi Sophia, it's travel insurance with Virgin Money in the UK and it's £149.52 for the year (multitrip). We went with them because they allow trips of up to 94 days, a lot only allow up to 30 and 60 days. We haven't got Spanish health insurance because we are not residents and it would not be good value not being there for 365 days a year. Cheers, Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes Will check it out, thank you very much.
Hey Mike / Yvonne - great video , very informative and a fantastic comparison. I have two questions A) in the comparison is your Uk house also a 2 bed home? B) are you paying any bank charges for your new Transferwise Account? Is this bank recognised in Spain?
Hi Yogi, sorry for the late reply, Our UK house is a small Terrace house with an extension which gives us a 3rd bedroom in Band A Council tax.
Wise bank have very small charges for things like exchanging currencies see ruclips.net/video/MK_WF1uJU1g/видео.html. We have successfully swapped all our DD's now to Wise. I'm just going to wait until October before I close the Sabadell account just to make sure they all go through ok. The bank has a Belgian IBAN number but all have accepted it. Thanks for watching, all the best, Mike and Yvonne
@@BetweenTheLakes Modest home and lifestyle in UK with low running cost, (terrace home, council tax band A). For me this is the key to living the sort of life you now enjoy.
@@100Noddy Yes that's how we see it. As I became forced into early retirement through Covid in 2020 (I was a self-employed camera operator/editor with no work coming in), we sold our 4 bedroomed house and downsized to this one. The money we made saw me through until my state pension which started in Aug 2022.
@@100Noddy yes, that how we see it also. Thanks for watching, Mike and Yvonne
How about a total budget just to see the cost of living there? Groceries, eating out, etc? Curious to see how much it would really cost me.
Hi Dave, thanks for watching, at the end of the video we do a price comparison between our local Spanish supermarket, Mercadona and our local UK supermarket Tesco. We have done many videos on the cost of eating out. You can see them all here: studio.ruclips.net/user/playlistPLK3oYDMqNX-6kxXG-ifOHqMahEKh8ayeP/edit
All the best Mike and Yvonne.
For example, would 3000 USD/month be enough to live on?@@BetweenTheLakes
@@davylloydful Hi David, have you seen our spreadsheet, it has everything on regarding living expenses. We spend about 100 euros per month on groceries and something like 200 euros per month on eating out. We have a very frugel lifestyle and could easily run both our UK house and our Spanish house on £2000 per month with money to spare.
It all depends on your lifestyle and how you live your lives, we could easily do it on your budget. Thanks for watching, all the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi who is the best place to hire a apartment for villa martin. I seen on web in the sun holidays. Also whats best way to get to Torrivejca from villamartin plaza. Thanks
Hi Steve, there are a few estate agents in Villa Martin Plaza. They would be far better equipped to answer your query. We don’t know them as we don’t often go there. There is a regular bus from La Zenia Boulevard to Torrevieja which is not far from Villa Martin, and I’m sure there will be a bus from Villa Martin to La Zenia bouldvard. Thanks for watching. All the best, Mike and Yvonne.
Thanks guys for another good informative video, very interested in the bank accounts situation as find Spanish bank charges a real pain, but was told that most of the services would only accept direct debits from Spanish accounts ?.
As for food price comparison, you have had to do a like for like examples, but of course if you shop around a bit you can find prices a lot cheaper, especially in places like the Economy supermarket and Pepco, although shopping around next time out will be harder until I replace my stolen bikes 🙄🙄🤣🤣, keep up the great work 👍
Hi Brian, hope you are well and recovering from the theft of your bike. Yes, we were worried about the DD's only being accepted from Spanish banks but we went round in person to all our services and did it. We had no problems except the water company, but they accepted it in the end so all is well. That is the reason I am hanging on until October (when all DD's will have gone through) before I close my Sabadell account. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Yeah, was the water company I was thinking about most, got confused last night, tried looking up transferwise to check them out, but could not find them ? Seems they are called Wise now🤔, hope it all works out for you and if so will probably give them a try, many thanks again 👍
Whenever you watch these programs on tv about spain, the british who do work, work 15 hour days for about a £5 hour. All right to retire too but better options like thailand Malaysia
Hi Lesley, Thanks for watching and for your interesting comment. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
We are the same Ish in Arboleas, 2 months of bank charges we swooped to wise, you can only take out 200 per month with a card, unicaja it’s free withdrawal, going to try modelo ourselves little scary
Hi Tomm5228, thanks for watching. Yes it's a good idea to swap to Wise and yes only 200 per month in cash is allowed for free, but it's not much to get another 200, and certainly cheaper than Sabadell charges who charge you 40€ per quarter for ???. Once you have done the Modelo once you'll never look back it takes about 10 mins.All the best Mike and Yvonne.
Hi Mike & Yvonne,
A few questions, if I may.
Would a property being bought in just the husband's name only require 1 form being filled in for the Non Residents Tax?
Also, if a property is bought by just the husband (Irish & British Passport holder), would it automatically pass to the wife if he were to die or would he need to have this ensured via a Spanish Will?
Alternatively if it was bought in joint names would the deceased 50% automatically pass to the survivor without the need for a Spanish Will?
Is the Spanish Will only to ensure the passing on of a property to someone who is not a joint owner or spouse?
TIA 😊
Joe
Hi Joe, thanks for watching and for your questions. We are not lawyers so we can only tell you what we think. On your first point, I’m fairly confident that the owner of the property is the only one liable to pay the non resident tax as he would be the sole owner. The other points about the will, we think the property would not automatically be passed without the proper Spanish will in place but we would recommend you get the advice of a Spanish lawyer on this and your other two questions. Sorry we couldn’t give you a more definite answer. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
@BetweentheLakes thank you for taking time to reply. Keep up the good work. 😉
Can you remind me of the estate agent you use to buy your property please
Hi Jenny, yes it's Casas Espania they are based in La Siesta....casasespania.com/ we are very happy to recommend them, a great team headed by Helen and Gareth. Thanks for watching. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
good video.
compairing sweden to spain lol. we will live like royalty on our swedish pensions in spain. got my swedish passport now so moving will be easy.
our mortgage is paid off here in sweden and now we're saving hard to buy a new build in the costa del sol.
may i ask is there taxes to pay when you buy a villa in spain?
Hi Isaac, Thanks for watching, yes, you are in a great position with your generous Swedish pension, hope you have fun searching for the ideal property that matches your needs.
Yes, there is a tax on property purchases in Spain. I think it varies from region to region. We can only speak from our own experience. We paid 10% property tax on our house. If you watch our buying a house video we explain all our expenses in detail, maybe you'll find that one useful as well here it is: ruclips.net/video/vBll7m-aOz4/видео.html We have a playlist with some more relevant to Living in Spain: ruclips.net/p/PLK3oYDMqNX-7xPZHOjJ4osLGal9EVk-uk Thanks for you comments, all the best with your search. Best wishes, Mike and Yvonne.
Congratulations on your 100th vlog, I’m with Sabadell for my DD and want to reduce my bank charges, is the Bank you are moving called Wise or Transfer Wise? Thanks
Hi Phil, yes the bank was known as Wise and then rebranded recently to Transfer Wise. It's ideal as you can have multiple accounts in multiple currencies. We have a GBP account as well as a Euro account with them.It's easy to transfer currencies at very low cost. They do DD's and no charges, in fact they have generous interest rates on their accounts. Check them out on RUclips, there are loads of videos about comparisons with other banks. Thanks for watching. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes my water company HiDROGEA would not accept my Wise DD because the IBAN was not Spanish ES it’s based in Belgium so BE?
@@philgreen3376 Hi Phil, yes we had a similar problem with our water company Aguas del Arco (the only one we had a problem with) They questioned the number of digits n the IBAN number and the BE. but they did accept it in the end so all good, I've heard it's illegal for them to refuse it as it's an EU bank in Belgium, but I'm not sure. We went around personally to change them all at each office so we are quietly confident all will be well and we will save 160.00€ a year.
Is health care free in Spain for British people or do you need an insurance policy? And is health care as good. Have you allowed for UK bills being more expensive due to time spent in UK and also that winter in UK costs more due to lower temperatures!
Since Brexit, health care isn't free for non British residents or those who moved to Spain after the transition period ended. For British that were living there prior this period and applied for "residencia" the service is free and very good.
Hi Andrew, yes, you need health insurance. The Spanish health service is very good. A friend of our has just had a hip replacement and he was very happy with the service and the care he received. `see his channel, he's a RUclipsr and talks about it on his channel "Expat in Mazarron" ruclips.net/user/livegVIofc1uXD8?feature=share
I think the bills in winter being more expensive in the UK than in Spain is a valid one. We pay a fixed direct debit amount, the same every month which includes gas which we haven't got in Spain. We usually come to Spain in March, which is quite chilly especially when the sun goes down. I think it's for you to decide after seeing the spreadsheet amounts, as these are the figures we actually pay. We think energy prices have gone up in both countries but it is still cheaper in Spain. Hope this helps, best wishes Mike and Yvonne.
In the UK do you not have heating oil or gas?
We have gas central heating. Only use the radiators when it is very cold. We have the boiler on for hot water. Thanks for watching and for your comment. All the best Mike and Yvonne.
@@BetweenTheLakes if you had included gas heating I guess that would have made Spain look even cheaper as heating is a big outgoing in the UK.. I just ordered 500ltr of oil for £432 which we'll be lucky if that gets us to Christmas
The spreadsheet does include all our energy costs in both countries. In Spain, we have an oil-filled radiator, the costs of which will be in our electricity costs@@buckymoto1784